Chapter 0:
The Father from Saint Elizabeth Chapel
"Pater noster, qui es in caelis...".
"Father Mickel, I have a new assignment for you." A priest came near the other priest that was silently praying.
"Father Hyacinth, are you having a good morning? What's this assignment about?" Smiling with his eyes.
"The upper summit has decided to send you to manage the Saint Elizabeth Chapel." He said with a serious face.
"That's wonderful, a chapel of my own. It would be a pleasure." Mickel answered politely.
"Meet with bishop Mark, he will tell you all the matters and about your duty." He indicates the bishop's office with his index finger.
"Thank you, Hyacinth, have a good day. May the Lord bless you." He nodded and bowed.
"You too, father Mickel, good luck, will be needed."
Mickel was already going forward, but returned his face at Hyacinth after his last words, then faced the church corridor and started walking fast but measuring his footsteps.
"Father Mickel! I've heard great things about you. Are you doing alright?" Bishop Mark uses a remarkable pair of glasses and mainly red clothing.
"God blessed me with good fortune and grace. By His will I pray every single day for a better day for all of us." Joining his hands.
"That's good. May He bless your path." He raised his hand.
"Amen." Already with hands together, he bowed.
"You're being commanded by the Holy Catholic Church to be the Saint Elizabeth Chapel's priest. It is in the city of Mountblanc." He pulled a piece of paper from the pile on his table.
"Isn't it Montblanc?" Mickel found that name a little odd.
"The name was given because of the white mountain that is always full of snow close to the Mountblanc town." He was reading the paper while talking.
"Right, most holy father. And what should I do when I get there?" Gazing at the paper backwards.
"Find Elijah. He's waiting for you. Go get a horse and get going. Here is the map that shows the path to Mountblanc" Mickel took the map, but before analyzing it, he said:
"Can't I take a car or something?" Looking at bishop Mark's face with serious concern.
"Sure not. It is a mountainous path full of rocks and solid frozen rivers, a car couldn't get through it." He pointed to the stables.
"Absolutely, must holy father..." With a full reverence, Mickel went to the stables.
"Hello my good fella. Can I have a horse?" A man was serving hay to a horse, he looked at him.
"Here, take Sassy. She's a good horse." He pointed to Sassy.
Mickel came closer to Sassy. The horse was alone in the last stable pit, apart from the other horses. It was a beautiful horse. A dappled horse, with black spots and a white coat. Mickel stroked his hand on its mane and the horse wheezed happily.
"Come Sassy, we must go to Mountblanc, it will be a great journey, I'm counting on you. May Lord bless you and our path together." Sassy neighed.
"Here, have some hay for her. You should get some food for yourself too." Passing a considerable amount of hay.
"Thank you, my good man. Have a nice day, may God bless you."
"You too, may your path be bright and righteous." Mickel made a full reverence and started leading Sassy out of the church.
They spurred across the adjacent trees next to the church and went through the forest. At night, they stopped and lit a fire. Mickel lends the hay for Sassy and eats a portion of the bread he brought with him.
"By the map, it shows that it would take five days until Mountblanc." Mickel came closer to Sassy, so he could be warm, and slept with his body nested in Sassy's body.
At night, he had awful dreams, he saw a variety of devil sorts of images and figures, he couldn't understand what they were, but certainly, it wasn't Godly creatures, they were from the abyss.
He suddenly woke up and saw an enormous body was close to him. But then it jumped back quickly. The only thing Mickel could see was two big spots of red light behind the trees.
The fire was out, it was cold and dark.
"I must light the fire, or these evil creatures will come by again." Mickel couldn't sleep anymore. His eyes were tired by the time the sun came up. He went to the river and washed his face and hands. He put his hands together and began to pray.
"May the Lord help me through danger and give me strength to vanquish evil. Dominus pastor meus est; nihil mihi deerit. (The Lord is my shepherd; I shall lack nothing.)"
Sassy went closer to him. She appeared to be full of fear.
"We must go Sassy, we can't stay longer in this dubious forest." Giving little pats on her back.
They ran through the forest deep, following the path guided in the map. By the end of the day, they stopped next to the river and lit a fire.
"Next to the river must be safe. Usually the demons fear water."
Mickel had an idea. He went to the river with his canteen and recharged it. Then he made a ritual to turn the water into holy water. He grasped his bible and his crucifix and stayed close to Sassy, and she hugged him involving his full body.
For some reason, Mickel slept. A few hours passed and he woke up with the fire out. A terrible gaze came from the river. Mickel started praying in English. The shadow raised from the water and started to come closer. Mickel opened the canteen lid and sprayed holy water in that shadow rising from the river. A guttural sound, close to an inferno's beast scream was heard and the shadow returned to the river.
"That was scary as hell..."
On the next day, they left camp in the first daylight. According to the map, it would begin the path through the mountains.
"There's no way a demon will come in the middle of the mountains, now, it is sure that we are secure. Let's go, Sassy!"
They were at the edge of a mountain, into a narrow path that could seamlessly support a single horse, and suddenly, he saw an entrance.
"Let's stay here for the night, Sassy,"
He searched for the wooden sticks he gathered and lit a fire.
"Now it is impossible for any demon to appear."
At night, a cold wind struck and vanished the fire. A cold breeze, followed by a dark shadow.
Mickel woke up. "Not again. That must be something odd, that's not normal..."
A flying demon arose from the depths of the mountain, his dark shaped wings swinging.
"Go away!" Mickel poured the holy water but missed the target. "Now I'm dead..."
For some reason, Mickel starts praying in Latin.
"Pater noster, qui es in caelis: sanctificétur nomen tuum; advéniat regnum tuum; fiat volúntas tua, sicut in caelo et in terra..."
The dark shadow screamed as it was agonizing.
"Panem nostrum quotidiánum da nobis hódie, et dimítte nobis débita nostra, sicut et nos dimíttimus debitóribus nostris..."
That scream began to sound as a major suffering for the dark figure.
"et ne nos inducas in tentatiónem; sed libera nos a malo..."
Mickel joined his two hands in a sign of pure devotion to the Lord.
"Amen"
The dark shadow disfigurate until it has been fully exorcised.
"I see... The Latin prayer also works, it's like human possessions."
But suddenly a great fear struck Mickel.
"What if they surround me?" He was puffing "What if a dark lord shows up?" He was in panic. Then, all of a sudden, he fainted with total fear.
The next day, he woke up and saw the sun shining into a new day. But his dread has not left him.
He kept going to Mountblanc, and suddenly, at the rock wall, he saw a face on the rocks, as it was a demon observing him. He looked away, but could swear that the rock demon eyes accompany him while he goes apart. He came to a wooden forest, filled with snow. Suddenly he saw a puddle, but he could almost see a craving face melting and smiling at him. A dreadful second face appeared and started shuffling with the other. He steps fiercely at the water pond, but nothing happens. He thought he heard the two faces moaning as he did it.
Then, as he crossed the forest mounting Sassy, he saw wooden faces with phantasmagorical expressions in every tree. He couldn't stay calm. Suddenly, he sees himself without water. By the way of the track, he saw a well. As he came closer, he heard a painful laugh, and he couldn't come closer. That laugh was so haunted that he prefers not to drink water from now on. As his very last hope, he saw a sign "Mountblanc". He spurred Sassy and went through the small town of Mountblanc.
There were small houses. If you raise your head, it looks like from every part of the town you could see the snowy white peak, and it was an enormous mountain, way bigger than Mickel thought it would be. Everywhere there were small people. Maybe because they were old and shriveled like they were step on by time itself and became almost crouched.
A boy sat down with his head on the wall of a stable and looked at Mickel.
"So you are the strong force that I've sensed in the forest."
Mickel looked at him and he was a young boy with white clothes, blond hair and soft light blue eyes. Mickel sensed something. That boy got a nebulous aura, as he could see a thin hazy smoke around the children's body.
"Who are you, young boy?" He came closer carrying Sassy with him.
"I'm Anderson. And you?" The boy raised his chin when asking Mickel's name.
"God bless you, Anderson, I'm Mickel, I'm going to be the priest of the Saint Elizabeth Chapel." He lent his hand.
"So you must have been looking for father Elijah." The boy held his hand and Mickel helped him get up.
"Exactly. Can you say where he is?" The boy was patting off dirty from his clothes.
"I can show you. Come with me. I'll take you to the chapel." He started walking.
They followed the main road of the town. It was a bigger village than Mickel thought, but still not large enough to become a city. They turned left, and went straight to a cemetery.
"Not now. Embrace thy selfs." Anderson whispered.
"What did you say, Anderson?" Mickel lowered his head close to the boy.
"Nothing." Mickel was suspicious. May this little boy talk to spirits or something? Or "thy self" was Mickel himself?
"Here. This is the chapel." By the end of the cemetery there was a white and simple construction. It was a decaying building.
"It is a lovely building..." He observed all the facade.
"Elijah! The priest has come!" Anderson almost screamed.
A sound of things shattering, like if Elijah got a fright and stabled in something. Half a second later a small man shows at the right of the door.
"Hello, my good man of God. Are you Mickel?"
The small man was fatty, like a round ball, with short legs, a pointy nose and a bald head. You couldn't see his eyes, like they were smiling while semi closed. He had a black basic priest cloak, just like Mickel had below his winter coat. A great shiny metal crucifix was pending in his chest.
"Come, let me show you the Saint Elizabeth Chapel, where you are going to work. I hope you like it." Going slowly inside.
"Thank you, father Elijah, may God bless you." Mickel put his first foot inside of the chapel.
"May God bless us all, father Mickel. Thank you, Anderson, you may go now." He waved his hand in the air in Anderson's direction.
The boy turned away and ran through the cemetery.
"Here in Mountblanc we have a few devotees, but they are in God's righteous path. Such lovely souls. Come, let's take a walk."
They entered the chapel, and there were a lot of wooden benches, straight and aligned. At the end, there was a cross with a figure of Jesus on it. It was so realistic, that Mickel could feel Jesus' pain just by looking at it. Below, it was the catholic common elements. A golden cup that looked like the Holy Grail. Mickel was surprised by it. All the christian elements above the platform were extraordinarily well maintained. The altar was very beautiful.
The statue image of Holy Mary at the side of the altar seemed that she was gazing at Jesus Christ with sorrow.
"So this is the chapel, behind the altar there are our chambers. Come with me."
There was a corridor behind the altar.
"Here is where Jesus Christ's cross is, you can see its marks on the wall."
There was a mark of the cross that, in fact, looks like a holy mark, thought Mickel.
"Here, there is your room, to the right, and my room to the left. You can vest your apparel and belongings here. After that, give me a call and I'll show the rest of the property." He went to his own room.
"Father Elijah, my horse must be thirsty and hungry. Where can there be a fine stable, here on the property of the chapel?" Sassy was outside in the cold.
"Wonderful, I'll go fetch her so she can stay at Mountblanc stables, there is a fine man that can gently aid her needs and care for her."
At any moment, Mickel said it was a female horse.
"Thank you, father Elijah." Bowing.
Mickel went to his new quarters and so it has only a bed and a wardrobe, no table, no chair, just a bed and a wardrobe. He put all his belongings inside of it and waited sitting on his bed.
"Father Mickel?" A voice came from outside the open door of Mickel room.
"Yes, father Elijah?" He ready stood up.
"Come, let's see the rest of the chapel's property." He waved the air in the form of telling him to come this way.
They walked slowly and steady, Elijah pointed to a lot of places and trees. You can feel his care for each element he presents.
"Here is the garden. From here we get our precious vegetables, which are part of our livelihood. The rest we need to negotiate with the locals. Also, we have a pigsty and aviary. We take eggs from the chickens and we use the pigs to find truffles and eventually, they are put down for food. Come. This is Leslie, this is Ronald, and this is Shelly." He presented the three pigs. "And here at the aviary we got Nina, Christine, Sheila..." After all the names, Mickel could see that each one of them, including the pigs, got an identification plate on the neck that would facilitate afterwards. "You're going to take good care of them, won't you? You can start tomorrow."
"Sure, father, I'll commit to take care of the whole chapel and all his property, plants and animals. I'm graced by these blessings. Thank you for your work of the great maintenance of all these sorts of tasks, I'm sure it has been well done, I can sense in every animal and object."
He opened a wide smile, then rubbed his elbow. He was too small to reach Mickel's shoulder.
"Sure thing, father Mickel. Now, come with me, let's share a glass of water and rest for a bit. Then, I will show you the kitchen. It's not necessary to say that you will take care of our meals from now on, am I not?" He lowered his head and came closer.
"Of course, I've been the cook of my church when I was studying to become a priest,it is a pleasant task. Lord give us food, and I distribute it to those in need." He spread his arms.
"That is good of you. I'm very fond of you, father Mickel. Let's have a glass of water, I sense your thirst is way more serious than I thought." Mickel thought he could camouflage this need better.
"I'm one day and a half without water. I've eaten suspicious berries along the way, it had too little juice in it."
"No problem, you can fetch how much water you need in our well. You need to be in shape for the chapel's duty. You can do physical exercises outside if you want, we have plenty of space in the courtyard." With a comforting smile.
"Thank you, father Elijah."
Inside they were drinking water from a silver vase, it was delicate and really cold.
"Father Elijah, thank you for the water and receiving me so kindly."
"No problem. You've seemed really thirsty. Is the minimum I can do. You mentioned eating berries. Careful with these berries, they can cause hallucinations."
"That's a thing I couldn't help, it was the only thing easy to eat, I also ate rabbits and squirrels." Mickel stopped and thought that the berries could have something to do with the images and strange figures he saw, but then, he remembered seeing them before eating the berries. He discretely made the sign of the cross.
"Well, let's keep going. There's only the kitchen left." They went to the back of the chapel.
"Here are the materials you will need" Pointing at a wardrobe. "And here is all the food you need to cook us dinner tonight. If you need something, just say my name a bit loud and I will come to your aid in any question." Then he quickly disappeared from the kitchen.
After fetching and organizing everything he will need, Mickel started cooking. But suddenly, he felt that someone was looking at him from behind.
He looked over his shoulder and a white figure was in the corner of the room sitting on the chair. Mickel couldn't believe it at first, then, he fully turned to that shady presence and it came close so quickly that Mickel couldn't react, it came screaming and disappeared real close to Mickel.
"I thought the demons and spirits had stopped mocking me... I was mistaken. That was crazy scary. Oh Lord..."
After cooking everything, before, he set the table, and father Elijah was nowhere he could find. After putting the plates and cutlery he brought the food. "Father Elijah! Dinner is served!"
"Oh, very thank you, father Mickel" He appeared already seated.
"That was quicker than I thought."
"Let's dine." They ate the whole meal in silence and Mickel couldn't know if the food had been appreciated or not.
"That was a lovely dinner. It seems that I'm going to eat delicious food from now on. Thank you again, father Mickel, for an exquisite dinner."
"Oh, I'm very thankful, father Elijah!" He nodded.
"Now let's go straight to bed! Tomorrow I will give you all your tasks here in the chapel." He stroked the table.
"Hoping for it, father!" Started clearing the table.
"Goodnight, sleep tight." He just vanished.
"That father is real fast!"
After washing all the dishes he went to sleep.
"What a joyful laugh."
He thought while sleeping. That was the first day since he began travelling to Mountblanc that he didn't dream of lethal demons trying to kill him. And to better all of it, he heard children laughing, which automatically shaped his dream to a lovely scene of children playing in the summer breeze.
"Time to wake up, father Mickel."
"Of course, father Elijah..." He wakes up as fast as he can, this is the day he will learn his tasks in the chapel, it is an important day that he can not make mistakes. The first time he does the tasks should be perfect to cause a good impression.
"This was a good sleep. The children laughing outside were lovely."
Father Elijah looked with a serious look, almost evil.
"There were no children playing, father Mickel."
"Not at all?"
"Not at all. The only children in Mountblanc are Anderson and the other two, who always stay at their houses."
"That's odd."
He brightened up his face.
"Maybe it was just a good dream, wasn't it?"
"I suppose..." Father Mickel could swear there were children. Then, a sudden chill went through his toes to his nape. He remembered that woman in white from the kitchen, and another memory, Anderson talking to something in the cemetery. That mustn't be good, thought Mickel.
"Let's go. Be ready in 5 minutes."
Mickel wore his priest apparel and knocked on Elijah's door.
"I'm right here." He shows up next to him.
"Didn't see you, father."
"The first task is to take care of the pigs and chickens, it is good if you start remembering their names. You know, every God creature that has a name is happy to be called by their names." With a gentle smile.
"That's true, father Elijah."
He fed the pigs, then went to give the chicken grains. But there, he sensed a heavy smell. He couldn't tell what it was exactly, but didn't say anything. When he was leaving, he suddenly saw a decomposing chicken body at the end of the room. Father Elijah didn't even bother. Maybe he was still hallucinating with those devils and spirits.
"Father, if I could confess to you today, later, maybe in the afternoon? It would be good for my soul."
"I liked the idea, you will take my confession as well. Oh, this give me memories from my early priest days, oh, how lovely. Good idea, father Mickel, a great way to get to know you better!" He patted Mickel elbow.
"You know that confessions are secrets of one's person, right?" Kind of worried.
"Yes, but we, servants from God, hear them, don't we? We can't do unheard things, father Mickel..." Father Elijah came closer and gave a certain smile, not pleasant, not comforting, just a smile.
"So, that's not so ethical, father Elijah..."
"Don't worry, you will take my confession as well. It is a two way blade, I get yours and you get mine, it is not a big deal." He tapped Mickel's elbow.
After doing all the tasks that Elijah proposed to him, father Mickel sat at the chapel's bench and started to pray, after he finished, he did the sign of the cross. When he was about to leave, father Elijah came closer.
"I am ready to take your confession, father Mickel."
"But here? Don't we have to do it in the confessional?"
"There is no need for that. Here in this church we are already in the presence of God."
Mickel looked at Jesus on the cross at the altar.
"Sure. Bless me, Father, for I have sinned. It has been seven days since my last confession."
"What were your sins?"
"I think I'm too convinced that if I treat everyone the best that I can, they would treat me better as well. But if I speak to a person that isn't so pleasant, it causes trouble."
"Indeed."
"I must help everyone that I can, but I can't save all of them..."
"True as well."
"I've been followed by dark figures since I've been in the path from the church I worked through here, and despair has consumed me."
Father Elijah nodded.
"I need forgiveness of my thoughts about killing those dark figures, and also by cursing the ones that brought me here."
"That's not good, father Mickel."
"I know, that's a path that the Lord gave to me, I can't be ungrateful."
"That's true as well."
"I am sorry for these and all my sins."
Father Elijah raised his hand above Mickel's head.
Mickel prayed for forgiveness to God.
"Five Hail Marries below Her image, and one Hail, Holy Queen."
Mickel found there were few prayers for such terrible sins. Convinced he should pray more, he kneeled by Holy Marry's statue and began to pray.
After the 6 prayers, he raised and went to father Elijah.
"Now is your turn, father Elijah."
"Bless me, Father, for I have sinned. It has been twenty two years since my last confession."
Mickel started to worry.
"What are your sins?"
"I've done a few bad things in these twenty or so years."
Mickel swallowed hard.
"I've killed some animals that were disturbing my path. Some pigs, some chicken, some cows."
"Keep going."
"I've used church authority to get my way through all these years. I've collected money from people that couldn't pay."
Mickel looked seriously at Elijah's face.
"I've worked with the spirits from the cemetery sometimes, to haunt the ones that don't pay me, or don't seem to be on the righteous path."
That struck Mickel, with a great force.
"I've sent demons into the forest to test travelers that came closer."
Now Mickel was in fear. Absolute fear.
"I've used other people's hopes of holy providence according to my will."
"Anything else?"
"I think these are those I can think of, right now. For these and all my other sins, which I cannot now remember, I am truly sorry."
"10 Hail Marries and two Hail, Holy Queen in front of Holy Marry's figure. Then, three Pater Noster in front of Jesus cross."
"As you command, father."
As he saw Elijah into Holy Marry's figure, he started to tremble. It was all Elijah. He sent demons against Mickel. He sent the cemetery spirits to mock him. Is it pure evil? Or is it a test? The only thing he can attest right now, is that he has to be confident and stay on the righteous path of God, cause he will bless him.
After all the praying, father Elijah came closer.
"I feel like a ton has left my shoulders. Thank you, father Mickel."
"For sure, father Elijah. That's our duty as man of God."
"So let's make dinner together tonight. I can help with some smaller cooking tasks."
"That would be helpful, father. But first, I need to go to my chambers."
"No problem, I'll be waiting right here, at the chapel bench."
Mickel went to his chambers. He felt to his knees. Then, started to cry, a long cry full of fear and anger.
Elijah came to the door and stared with his wide opened bright red eyes. But Mickel couldn't see it, he could only cry full of anger and despair.
He contained himself, raised and cleaned up his face. Went to the bathroom and washed his face and hands.
"Father Elijah, I'm ready to cook dinner, would you help me with that?"
"Of course, father Mickel, let's go to the kitchen."
They started cooking and they talked like close friends, as if after confession they understand each other better.
They dined in a pleasant and satisfactory way, and went to bed.
At night, Mickel couldn't sleep. He was anxious. He was nervous. He feared Elijah and what he could do to him.
At the rest of the week, until Saturday, Mickel had good talk with Elijah, but still saw other world images and spirits, but he made a vow to be strong. So he endured, as it was a test so he could prove his worth.
Saturday, Elijah said.
"Go for a walk in Mountblanc, you should know the devotees that will come tomorrow to the mass."
So Mickel put on his winter cloak and walked calmly throughout the village. First, he went to the stable to see Sassy, she was doing alright, and that was a relief. He talked and presented himself to all the villagers he could, and as Elijah said, they all presented a good soul, they were really nice people on the righteous path. At the end he saw Anderson, the shady mist surrounding him was stronger.
"Good afternoon, Anderson. How are you doing today?"
"Hello, priest Mickel, I'm doing okay, and you?"
"May the Lord bless you. I'm going for a walk to get to know the villagers better."
"You have to be careful."
"Of what? They seem like good people..."
"They apparently are, that's true, but you'll never know their true beliefs about you at the first meeting."
Mickel stopped. Then he tapped Anderson's head.
"My job is to help them with all I can. What they think about me isn't my concern. I'm just a Lord's vessel to spread the good words of God and guide them through all they need."
Anderson looked seriously.
"So you think you can help me? You've seen me. I have this strong power that I possess and can't handle it properly..."
"If there's anything I can help you with, it would be my pleasure."
Anderson looked at Mickel and smiled truly. His aura faded.
"I'm happy to hear it, father Mickel."
"Come talk to me whenever you like, it would be a pleasure." He removed the hand off of Anderson's head, crouched and straightened his hand.
Anderson hesitates. He started to straighten his arm into Mickel's hands... Mickel grabbed the little boy's hand with both hands and stroked it calmly.
"You can count on me, Anderson. I am here to help."
Anderson started to cry discreetly, he looked the other way. Mickel came closer and involved Anderson in a hug. He started to cry like a little boy, that he is.
"Everything is okay. Lord will guide you through the righteous path."
The next day, at the mass, the first part of the cult was in English, but the second part was in Latin. It began as usual, then started to seem odd. Suddenly, it became a demonic chant. Mickel was so worried, but he couldn't do anything in the middle of the ritual. He saw the bodies of the devotees as their souls were being absorbed slowly, as if little shallow figures were drawn into father's Elijah.
Mickel thought: "I need to free these good people from this. I need to be the official priest here in Mountblanc and save the villagers!"
A month has passed, and by the course of the month he helped the villagers with daily needs, and he got fond of the villagers. Also, every time he could, he spoke with Anderson. He sensed a strong connection with Anderson, and they were creating a real connection.
In every mass, he fell bad about the villagers with the demonic chant.
The spirits that appeared to Mickel, he slowly began to identify them to his grave, so he knew each ghost name, and could handle each one of them bit by bit.
Once, Mickel was going to take a leak, when he heard strange noises from the altar.
When he got there, father Elijah was eating a raw animal.
"Father Elijah! What are you doing to Ronald?!" The pig was being devoured.
Father Elijah jumped and was still on the wall and sailing corner.
"Finally, father Mickel, I can kill you as well!"
He jumped, but Mickel redirected his trajectory. And again, and again.
"I don't want to hurt father Elijah, he did good to me all this time."
It started to get rough, a lot of jumps into Mickel, who could hardly manage.
Suddenly, the chapel door was opened.
"Anderson..."
Anderson was with a particularly strong hazy aura around him.
Elijah came instinctively straight toward Anderson, but...
"Father Mickel!"
"It's alright, Anderson, I'm managing it."
Father Elijah was biting fiercely Mickel's right shoulder, as he was standing before Anderson to protect him.
Mickel turned around and hugged Elijah's body and started chanting Pater Noster.
A smoke came from the parts of the body where both of them were connected.
But the prayer wasn't strong enough!
Elijah bites hard on Mickel's left shoulder.
But then, Anderson came and touched Elijah's body on the back. All his strong aura was canalized into that touch and a soft impact was heard.
Elijah's body was dropped heavily in Mickel's arms. He rested his head close to the ground, because he hadn't strength with both of his shoulders pierced by the demon's tooth.
"Mickel... You've passed. All of that was me testing you. The path to Mountblanc, the spirits, my confession, everything. And you passed. I even recited devil's rituals in the chapel to test you. Poor souls, they were sucked by it... And at last, a medium demon possessed me. I'm ashamed of myself." He cried. "But, you, father Mickel, is the main priest of Saint Elizabeth Chapel, take good care of it, you too, young Anderson, your future is prominent... God bless you two..."
Father Elijah disappeared as his body fades, only his clothes left in Mickel's arms, who cried discretely as a single teardrop fell from each of his eyes. Anderson stood next to him with respect.
"Anderson... I will be a good priest for Saint Elizabeth Chapel. Do you want to be my apprentice?"
He stood up with difficulty, then came closer to Anderson and crouched in one knee.
"Yes, father Mickel. May Lord bless my path."
Mickel did the sign of cross, he stood up, grabbed Anderson hand, and both of them left the church walking slowly while the moon shone from the window directly into father Elijah's clothes on the ground.
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